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New article by Ondřej Špaček came out in the prestigious British Journal of Sociology

The latest issue of the prestigious journal The British Journal of Sociology features an article by Mgr. et Mgr. Ondřej Špaček, Ph.D. from the Faculty's Department of Sociology. Titled "Convertibility of Cultural Capital: A Longitudinal Study of University Students From 2017 to 2024"¹, the article presents findings from a longitudinal study of the impact of cultural capital on the academic performance of Charles University students. The author examines two distinct components of cultural capital: the institutionalized form and the embodied form (drawing primarily on the work of Pierre Bourdieu), the latter encompassing the characteristic practices and tastes of specific individuals. The research reveals that while institutionalized cultural capital significantly influences academic success, embodied practices do not show such an effect; however, an interesting exception was found in study-abroad experiences, where embodied cultural capital proved to be a significant predictor of success.

We congratulate Dr. Špaček on this prestigious publication and wish him continued success in his future research! The full article is available here: Convertibility of Cultural Capital: A Longitudinal Study of University Students From 2017 to 2024.

Abstract:

A defining feature of cultural capital is its propensity for accumulation and the potential of its convertibility. However, there are a lack of studies that would explore how different forms of cultural capital could be employed as an advantage. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the effect of cultural capital on achieving educational outcomes while utilising a detailed array of questions focused on cultural practices and taste. The study is based on two waves of a longitudinal survey of the 2016–18 cohort of students at Charles University (N = 5127/2020). The analysis employs a categorical principal components analysis to measure established and emerging forms of embodied cultural capital. The results show that while institutionalised cultural capital has a significant effect on the likelihood of completing a university education, embodied cultural capital has no such effect, regardless of whether we focus on established or emerging forms. However, the convertibility of embodied cultural capital is substantial when the analysis focuses on study-abroad experiences during tertiary education. These results can be explained from the perspective of differentiated parallel areas of social space—one that relies on locally powerful state institutions, such as a national education system, and another that is part of the global space of cultural hierarchies centered in core European economic and cultural centers.

Mgr. et Mgr. Ondřej Špaček, Ph.D. Photo: Honza Mudra, from aktualne.cz